Part 20 (Final…?)
I stopped responding.
I stopped typing.
I stopped being part of it.
Now I just watch.
Not by choice.
Never by choice.
The server feels different again.
Not chaotic.
Not controlled.
Balanced.
But in the worst way.
Like everything is being allowed to happen.
Arguments start… but never go too far.
Spam appears… then fades instantly.
People join… people leave…
All perfectly timed.
Like a script.
Like a system.
I scroll through the member list.
I see them.
The ones who know.
They don't talk much anymore.
They just… exist.
Watching.
Waiting.
Under their names:
"Candidate."
There's more now.
Five.
No—six.
Growing.
I find the one I chose.
Still online.
Still silent.
Their role changed.
"Observer."
My chest tightens.
That's what I was.
Before.
Before all of this.
Before I became part of it.
A message appears.
Not in chat.
Not in a channel.
Just… there.
"final stage"
I whisper:
"…final for who?"
No answer.
Of course.
Then my screen glitches.
Hard.
Everything freezes.
Then reloads.
The server is gone.
Replaced by one single page.
Black background.
White text.
A list of names.
Every member.
Every candidate.
Every observer.
At the top…
My name.
Highlighted.
A message appears beneath it:
"promotion complete"
My heart starts racing.
"No. I said I'm done."
The screen doesn't care.
Another message:
"system requires balance"
Then—
"too many observers"
"not enough control"
I shake my head.
"I'm not doing this again."
Silence.
For a moment…
Nothing happens.
Hope.
Then—
"override accepted"
I blink.
Wait… what?
New message:
"control redistributed"
The screen flickers violently.
The list changes.
Names shift.
Roles update.
My name moves down.
Lower.
Lower.
Until—
It stops.
Next to my name:
"User."
I stare.
Breathing heavy.
"No way…"
The server reloads.
Everything is back.
Normal.
Chat is loud again.
Messy.
Alive.
I check the member list.
No "Server."
No "Observer."
No "Candidate."
Just people.
Just chaos.
Just Discord.
I type slowly:
"yo"
Someone replies:
"yo"
Another:
"anyone wanna vc?"
I laugh.
Actually laugh.
It's over.
It has to be over.
I put my phone down.
Lean back.
Finally…
Peace.
Then—
Ping.
Soft.
Quiet.
Familiar.
I close my eyes.
Don't move.
Don't react.
Then my phone lights up one last time.
A single message.
From a new user.
No profile picture.
No roles.
Just one line:
"can I be mod?"
I smile.
Shake my head.
And whisper:
"…good luck."
I don't reply.
Because this time…
It's not my problem anymore.
Right?